Wool-washing machine



g 1965 J. v. PONCELET WOOL-WASHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 27, 1963 United States Patent 6 Claims. 2C1. 68-44) The present invention relates to a wool-washing ma chine comprising two separate endless belts which are permeable to the liquid of a bath disposed in a tank wherein they are travelling side by side in the same direction and at the same speed at least over a part of their travel during which they enclose the wool to be washed which is subjected to the action of pressure rollers disposed at intervals and the horizontal axes of which are disposed one above the other, so as to produce temporary compression periods followed by periods of pressure decrease, in consequence of which a washing action takes place.

Although a machine of this kind is advantageous inasmuch as it prevents agitation of the wool and consequently tangling of the fibres resulting in felting or twisting (twining), it is nevertheless not entirely satisfactory. The belts almost reach the bottom of the washing tank and they constantly stir up the bath, preventing the deposit "of sludge which is maintained in suspension; consequently, over its entire travel in the tank, the wool re mains in contact with a bath containing impurities and this is a very considerable disadvantage; furthermore, after having been discharged, the outer belt again enters the bath and passes on the bottom of the tank under the active runs of the two belts, thus counteracting or opposing the descent of sludges and other substances and it returns to the charging station without having been rinsed; furthermore, even if they are permeable to the bath, the belts do not permit the complete elimination of the wool grease, sand, soil and other impurities remaining imprisoned in the wool. The result is imperfect washing, constituting a major source of annoyance which it is the object of the present invention to eliminate.

For this purpose, in a wool-washing machine comprising two endless belts co-operating over a part of their travel, according to the invention, there are provided a washing tank containing the washing bath wherein the belts travel side by side over at least a part of their travel, a decanting tank collecting the bath pressed out from the wool discharged from the outer belt into a pressure-drying means, and a rinsing .tank containing the bath'pressed out and purified by decantation wherein, after its discharge, the outer belt travels in such manner as to be cleaned before returning to the charging station; the inner belt is also sprinkled with fresh water externally of the bath.

According to a feature, the washing tank is divided into two chambers by a transverse partition which does not reach the bottom which slopes towards at least one lateral side.

According to a further feature, the rinsing tank comprises two compartments disposed one at each end of the washing tank and joined by a conduit having a sloping bottom extending under the said washing tank. The decanting tank is disposed under the pressing-drying means and also has a sloping bottom; furthermore, in order to ensur'e effective decanting, it is divided by a vertical wall into two parts of which the part containing the purified bath is connected to a compartment of the rinsing tank.

The present invention will be more readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings which relate to an embodiment given purely by way of example and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view in axial longitudinal section, of a washing machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view in section along the line II-II of FIG. 1.

From the figures it will be seen that a washing machine according to the invention essentially comprises a washing tank, a rinsing tank and a collecting or decanting tank.

The washing tank 1 is divided into two chambers 1a, 1b by a partial transverse partition 2 extending from the level of the upper edge but not reaching the bottom of the tank; there remains under the lower edge 2a of the said partition 2 a passage for the two endless belts 3 and 4. The bottom of the washing tank 1 has two planes 12, inclined from the centre towards the lateral sides at which are provided orifices 12a leading towards the lateral collectors 13 in which accumulate the deposited sludge which is regularly removed by an automatic scavenging device 19. The inner belt 3 travels on rollers 3a some of which are disposed one above the other so as to cause the belt to descend vertically in the direction of the arrow X in the chamber 1a of the washing tank 1 and to ascend vertically in the direction of the arrow Y in the adjacent chamber 1b. The outer belt 4 passes also over rollers 4a some of which are also disposed one above the other and opposite corresponding rollers of the belt 3, so as to cause the belt 4 to descend and ascend side by side with the belt 3. The rollers carrying the belts 3 and 4 are driven in the appropriate direction and in known manner by controls which have not been shown, in order to simplify the illustrations. According to an important feature, the endless belts 3 and 4 are perforated over at least a portion of their width. The wool is loaded onto the horizontal portion 5 of the outer belt 4 whereupon it is subjected to sprinkling with clean water through 17c, whereafter it is enclosed between belts 3 and 4 and conveyed into the washing bath, reaching in the tank 1 the level 6 at which is an overflow 6a. In the washing bath, the wool is subjected to compression alternating with periods of pressure decrease. After leaving the washing bath, the wool is conveyed by the horizontal part 4b of the belt 4 into the pressure-drying means 7 which presses out the liquid; the latter is recovered in the decanting tank 8 after having deposited on the screen 9 any fibres which may have carried along. These fibres are discharged by the wheel 10 into the basket 10a from which they can be recovered, either manually or mechanically.

This tank is provided with a partition 8b dividing it into two parts, one (8d) of which communicates via the conduit 8a with the first compartment 11a of the rinsing tank; the bottom 8c of the tank 8 slopes towards an outlet for the evacuation of deposited sludge which is removed by an automatic scavenging device. The overflow 6a is connected by the conduit 6b with portion 8e of the decanting tank 8.

After discharging the Wool, the belt 4 turns back and enters the first compartment 11a of the rinsing tank 11 where the cleaning of said belt commences in the liquid of the bath purified by decantation in the decanting tank 8 and supplied through the conduit 8a. Via the conduit 14 located under the bottom 12, the compartment 11a communicates with the opposite compartment 11b; the belt 4 travelling into the conduit 14 and into the compartment 11b deposits therein the impurities which it carries before forming the substantially horizontal portion 5 on which loading takes place.

A pump 15 can be used for extracting the liquid from the compartment 11b of the rinsing tank and is adapted to return it through the conduit 16 into the chamber In of the washing tank 1. A conduit 17 supplies fresh Water at 170 into the chamber 111 of the tank 1, at 17b onto the inner belt 3 which is cleaned, and at 17!: to the station 5 for loading the outer belt 4; these supplies of fresh water assist washing. The water for sprinkling the wool is recovered in the collector 18 and conveyed through the conduit 18a into the part 8e of the decanting tank 8.

The conduit 14 has a bottom 14a having the shape of a frustum of a pyramid, on which said bottom are deposited the impurities discharged from the belt 4, which are also removed by an automatic scavenging system 9.

In a machine such as described hereinabove, the decanted sludges are protected from agitation due to the movement of the belts which may be made from any desired material such as rubber, a synthetic material, a tex tile or even metallic material; furthermore, due to the partitioning of the washing tank, the ascending portion of the belts ascends in that portion of the bath which is charged to the least extent, this being essential it perfect washing is to be achieved, since in this manner the Wool comes into contact with a bath which is progressively less contaminated.

What I claim is:

1. Washing apparatus comprising a washing tank having a height greater than its width and adapted for containing a washing fluid, said washing tank having a sloping bottom, a vertical partition in said tank extending to a location spaced from the bottom of the tank, a rinsing tank having first and second compartments located on either side of the washing tank and in communication with one another below the washing tank, said rinsing tank having sloping bottoms in each of said compartments, a collecting tank located to a side of one of the compartments of the rinsing tank remote from the washing tank, a partition in said collecting tank dividing the same into interconnected compartments, said collecting tank having a sloping bottom in each compartment, the apparatus further comprising conveyor means comprising a pair or" belts for advancing therebetween material to be washed, first through one of the chambers in the washing tank along a descending path in part vertical, then beneath the partition in the washing tank and then upwardly in the other of the compartments of the washing machine along a path in part vertical, pressure-drying means located above one of the compartments of the collecting tank for receiving washed material from the conveyor means after the latter leaves the washing tank for extracting fluid from the material, which fluid is deposited into the collecting tank, means establishing communication between the collecting tank and the rinsing tank for supplying fluid to the rinsing tank from the collecting tank and means for ad vancing one of the belts, after the washed material has been delivered to the pressure-drying means, along a path extending through the two rinsing compartments.

2. Washing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising overflow means extending from an upper location in the said other of the compartments of the washing tank and one of the compartments of the collecting tank for drawing off washing fluid from the washing tank into the collecting tank.

3. A wool-washing machine comprising, conveyor means including two endless belts adapted for being advanced along a path of travel, one of said belts being an inner belt, the other being an outer belt, said belts travelling in face to face relation over at least a portion of said path of travel for enclosing wool therebetween and advancing the same, a washing tank adapted for containing a washing bath, pressure rollers disposed in spaced pairs in said washing tank in the portion of the path of travel of the belts when the latter travel in face to face relation, a rinsing tank adapted for containing purified washing bath, said outer belt travelling along a separate path after leaving said washing tank and passing through the rinsing tank, pressure-drying means for being supplied with the wool from said washing tank by said outer belt to apply pressure to the wool to recover washing bath remaining in the wool leaving said washing tank, a collecting tank disposed under said pressure-drying means for collecting said recovered washing bath, a transverse partition in said washing tank dividing the latter into two chambers, said Washing tank having an upper edge and a bottom, said partition extending form the level of the upper edge of said washing tank down to a depth spaced from the bottom to define a passage for the belts which travel through said chambers, the bottom of said washing tank sloping towards at least one of the lateral sides at which is located an outlet for the discharge of sludge, said rinsing tank in which said outer belt travels over a part of its return travel having two compartments located one at each end of said washing tank, and a conduit connecting I said compartments with each other, said conduit extending under the bottom of said washing tank and also having a sloping bottom.

4. A wool-washing machine comprising, conveyor means including two endless belts adapted for being advanced along a path of travel, one of said belts being an inner belt, the other being an outer belt, said belts travelling in face to face relation over at least a portion of said path of travel for enclosing wool therebetween and advancing the same, a washing tank adapted for containing a washing bath, pressure rollers disposed in spaced pairs in said washing tank in the portion of the path of travel of the belts when the latter travel in face to face relation, a rinsing tank adapted for containing purified washing bath, said outer belt travelling along a separate path after leaving said washing tank and passing through the rinsing tank, pressure-drying means for being supplied with the wool from said washing tank by said outer belt to apply pressure to the wool to recover washing bath remaining in the wool leaving said washing tank, a collecting tank disposed under said pressure-drying means for collecting said recovered washing bath, a transverse partition in said washing tank dividing the latter into two chambers, said washing tank having an upper edge and a bottom, said partition extending from the level of the upper edge of said washing tank down to a depth spaced from the bottom to define a passage for the belts which travel through said chambers, the bottom of said washing tank sloping towards at least one of the lateral sides at which is located an outlet for the discharge of sludge, said rinsing tank in which said outer belt travels over a part of its return travel having two compartments located one at each end of said washing tank, a conduit connecting said compartments with each other, said conduit extending under the bottom of said washing tank and also having a sloping bottom, said collecting tank having a sloping bottom with an outlet for the discharge of sludge, and a vertical partition in said collecting tank dividing the same into two portions one of which is connected with the compartment of said rinsing tank into which said outer belt enters after having conveyed the wool to the pressuredrying means.

5. A wool washing machine as claimed in claim 4 comprising means located beneath said pressure-drying means for screening the washing bath recovered by the pressuredrying means before the recovered washing bath is introduced into the collecting tank.

6. A Wool washing machine comprising, conveyor means including two endless belts adapted for being advanced along a path of travel, one of said belts being an inner belt, the other being an outer belt, said belts travelling in face to face relation over at least a portion of said path of travel for enclosing wool therebetween and advancing the same, a washing tank adapted for containing a washing bath, pressure rollers disposed in spaced pairs in said washing tank in the portion of the path of travel of the belts when the latter travel in face to face relation, a rinsing tank adapted for containing purified washing bath, said outer belt travelling along a separate path after leaving said washing tank and passing through the rinsing tank, pressure-drying means for being supplied with the wool from said washing tank by said outer belt to apply pressure to the wool to recover washing bath remaining in the wool leaving said Washing tank, a collecting tank disposed under said pressure-drying means for collecting said recovered washing bath, a transverse partition in said washing tank dividing the latter into two chambers, said washing tank having an upper edge and a bottom, said partition extending from the level of the upper edge of said washing tank down to a depth spaced from the bottom to define a passage for the belts which travel through said chambers, the bottom of said washing tank sloping towards at least one of the lateral sides at which is located an out- 20 let for the discharge of sludge, said rinsing tank in which said outer belt travels over a part of its return travel having two compartments located one at each end of said washing tank, a conduit connecting said compartments with each other, said conduit extending under the bottom of said Washing tank and also having a sloping bottom, said collecting tank having a sloping bottom with an outlet for the discharge of sludge, a vertical partition in said collecting tank dividing the same into two portions one of which is connected with the compartment of said rinsing tank into which said outer belt enters after having conveyed the wool to the pressure-drying means, said washing tank being provided with an overflow which is in communication with a portion of said collecting tank, a conduit for supplying fresh water into said washing tank, onto the inner belt and onto the outer belt at a loading station, a collector beneath the outer belt at said loading station for recovering water at said station applied onto the outer belt and a conduit leading from the latter collector to said collecting tank for conveying said recovered water into said collecting tank.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 66,013 6/67 Fuller 6822 X 573,936 12/96 Turkington 68-44 995,955 6/11 Fretts 6822 X 1,008,426 11/ 11 Milson 6822 X 1,185,766 6/16 Brunger 68-44 2,734,368 2/56 Richardson 68--208 X 25 2,904,981 9/59 Macomson 6822 X IRVING BUNEVICH, Primary Examiner. 

1. WACHING APPARATUS COMPRISING A WASHING TANK HAVING A HEIGHT GREATER THAN ITS WIDTH AND ADAPTED FOR CONTAINING A WASHING FLUID, SAID WASHING TANK HAVING A SLOPING BOTTOM, A VERTICAL PARTITION IN SAID TANK EXTENDING TO A LOCATION SPACED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK, A RINSING TANK HAVING FIRST AND SECOND COMPARTMENTS LOCATED ON EITHER SIDE OF THE WASHING TANK AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH ONE ANOTHE RBELOW THE WASHING TANK, SAID RINSING TANK HAVING SLOPING BOTTOMS IN EACH OF SAID COMPARTMENTS, A COLLECTING TANK LOCATED TO A SIDE OF ONE OF THE COMPARTMENTS OF THE RINSIGN TANK REMOTE FROM THE WASHING TANK, A PARTITION IN SAID COLLECTING TANK DIVIDING THE SAME INTO INTERCONNECTED COMPARTMENTS, SAID COLLECTING TANK HAVING A SLOPING BOTTOM IN EACH COMPARTMENT, THE APPARATUS FURTHER COMPRISING CONVEYOR MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF BELTS FOR ADVANCING THEREBETWEEN MAERIAL TO BE WASHED, FIRST THROUGH ONE OF THE CHAMBERS INT HE WASHING TANK ALONG A DESCENDING PATH IN PART VERTICAL, THEN BENEATH THE PARTITION IN THE WASHING TANK AND THEN UPWARDLY IN THE OTHER OF THE COMPARTMENTS OF THE WASHING MACHINE ALONG 